Evidence before confidence
How Carl screens a used car
Carl is decision support, not a history certificate or inspection. The report deliberately separates what is known, what the seller says and what still needs proof.
Source hierarchy
Official vehicle evidenceMOT test history and recall status are treated as evidence when a reliable registration can be identified.
The seller’s advertClaims such as “full history” or “recently serviced” remain claims until the buyer sees dated paperwork.
Comparable asking pricesCarl compares similar advertised cars where enough fresh matches exist. Asking prices are not completed sale prices or valuations.
Exact-model evidenceModel or variant issues appear only when the listing details match published source-backed evidence. A generic model reputation is never presented as fact about this car.
What the AI does
It organises the available evidence into a call, view or skip decision, flags contradictions and missing proof, ranks the inspection priorities and turns those gaps into useful actions. It can make mistakes, so important facts should be verified at source.
A blocked advert does not spend a verdict
If a marketplace blocks Carl before a screen is produced, the attempt does not use one of your three free Quick Screens. Paste the advert wording instead and try again.
What Carl cannot establish
Carl does not prove ownership, outstanding finance, theft status, write-off history or mechanical condition. Use an independent provenance check and a physical inspection before buying. Recall and MOT data can also change after a report is created.